The present invention relates to measuring a polar substance in a non-polar media. It finds particular application in conjunction with measuring water in oil and will be described with particular reference thereto. It will be appreciated, however, that the invention is also amenable to other applications.
Analysis of water concentration in lubricating fluids for the power generation industry, heavy manufacturing and large equipment usage has been identified as a market for infrared spectrometers. A method for measuring water in oils by infrared spectroscopy is known. However, the known method does not accurately determine the concentration of water in all types of oil.
Measuring water in lubricating fluids is a relatively difficult analysis due to several factors. In turbine oils, water separates from the oil. In an extreme case, water forms a layer on the bottom of a sample container. In other cases, an oil sample looks cloudy due to small water droplets within the sample which scatter light. Typically, turbine oils can only hold about 50 to about 100 ppm of water in solution; greater amounts of water will typically either form small droplets or settle out.
The present invention provides a new and improved method and apparatus which addresses the above-referenced problems.